Audrey’s Books

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Morrison

“Are you over your grief yet?” The question would leave author Audrey Stringer feeling hurt and angry. Get Over It! is Audrey’s response to this difficult question. This pocket-sized book describes one woman’s long journey to finding hope—and the wisdom to help others heal and live again.

In seven short years, Audrey was overwhelmed by the death of her son Steven, granddaughter Tate, and husband Rhod. While writing the book, she suffered the loss of her grandmother and the sudden death of her mother. Throughout these hardships, Audrey maintained a personal journal and a commitment to be connected to the people and world around her.

The book stitches together three layers: Audrey’s raw journal entries, her reflective storytelling, and her refined offers of advice. Giving advice, especially to grieving folk, can be difficult. But the design and layout of Get Over It! allows for Audrey’s gentle advice to arise out of her personal story and experience.

Chapters on healing rituals, navigating guilt, and rediscovering intimacy help the reader to reflect on their own experience. Advice on social support, children, holidays, finances and decision-making are given in bite-sized morsels that are more easily digested by bereaved readers. Audrey’s reflections on rekindling the spirit and nurturing faith are gentle encouragements to readers seeking to renew their spirituality in the aftermath of death.

Get Over It! is a reader-friendly companion for anyone embarking on the long journey to finding hope. The book is a real and caring way for clergy, counsellor and concerned friends to help parishioners, clients and loved ones.

Grollman

“Get Over It! is a compelling insightful volume that is eloquently written replete with her personal engaging life stories that bring personal wisdom and understanding to loss, pain and ultimate renewal.”

Rabbi Earl A. Grollman DHL, DD.
Author, Living When a Loved One Has Died (Beacon Press)

Conheim

“I have been a practicing psychotherapist and management consultant for 35 years. In that time I have worked with countless people who are grieving. There are many useful books to help people understand this process but none quite as useful as Get Over It. Audrey, in sharing her story, immediately gains credibility with the reader that this is a woman who has been through a huge dose of all the stages of grief. What she does particularly well is package the information in a very user friendly manner and give practical exercises that one can do on a daily basis. She also is warmly validating for the concept that emotions are with us to be expressed and one needs to cry as long as they need to cry. Friends and family may want us to stop for their comfort but there is a wisdom within each of us that knows what we need to do for our own recovery.

The first day I got the book I gave it to a client who lost her husband three months ago. She read it in one sitting and said she felt an angel had given her the guidance that she needed at this difficult time in her life.

I would highly recommend this book for therapists to give to their clients and for anyone who is going through the grieving process, to help them on their way to once again, finding a meaningful and vibrant life.

Audrey serves as a living model that even with tragic losses one can move on to a full life. Her book and the work she does models the resiliency of the human spirit.

Kathi

“This book is literally a life saver and couldn’t have come into my life at a better time.

Audrey writes about the everyday business of death whether it is from suicide (her son), her granddaughter (at birth) or her husband of many years. She is open and honest about everything from dealing with people who want to “help” to enjoying a one person sexual encounter and not feeling guilty or “bad” about these feelings. They do not stop just because my husband is dead, I’m not. It’s OK to want to be alone if that works for me or there are many suggestions to join groups and she lists them in the book. Everyone grieves in a different way but there are some things that are the same.

Not having any kind of service for Bill may have been a mistake but to the people who counted, me, Keli and his brother Harvey it didn’t matter. Bill didn’t want any kind of service not even a celebration of his life and this is something I do everyday. His friends and colleagues may not have understood as I went against “tradition” but I did try to honor his wishes. I don’t need to hear from anyone how great he was, I know that. I still am confused about “closure” and Audrey discusses this in good detail.

She talks about not staying “holed up” at home to grieve, get out or as you like to say “fake it ’till you make it”. There will always be pain but it does ease up. The reason it hurts so much is because I loved him so much.

I need to stop trying to be the “caregiver” that job is over for now, I need to let people take care of me. Life will not be the same and I need to recognize and cherish the changes, without them I cannot go forward and heal. She talks a lot about journaling and I think this is something I need to “force” myself to do. I’ve never been one to be organized enough to do this every day and that is OK, just start somewhere. I have to realize that I will lose a lot of friends since they are still a couple and I am only one. Some friends need to be weeded out and left behind if they are draining me, I’ve already seen some of this. Some people are just too high maintenance and just suck the life out of me. The grief is the same if someone is ill for a long time or dies suddenly.

I am also grieving for my role as caregiver, I no longer have this title which leaves me without him and a full time job taking care of him. Audrey talks a lot about structure (as you have) and has many recommendations, learning a new language, going to school, joining groups (I am NOT a group person, trust me), going on trips and in general just doing something new and different that I now have the time to do, I don’t have to rush home to make dinner. She speaks a lot about angels at the end of the book. I have always believed in them, Henry is a great example. Angels come to us in different forms not always with wings and halos sometimes with fur and claws. All of the things that I have talked to you about are not unusual.

There are no rules for grieving, tears today, tomorrow or whenever even years from now and that’s OK. There will be bad days, this is the part I don’t understand and I keep playing some stupid kind of tape in my head over and over usually including Keli and her family. I’m beginning to think this may have something to do with my treatment (or lack of it) from my parents. I’m alone for the first time in my life and it’s hard to get used to. Yet, I don’t want to live with anyone, I like being alone in my house with my cats. I enjoy school and slowly but surely I’m putting my foot in the water puddle of moving forward in life, little by little. I’m not sure what I truly want out of life, I’ve never had that choice and of course money is a big problem right now. It’s hard to make plans for things if you don’t know where the money is. Keli and Ron have been playing donkey cart and carrot with me for so long that it almost became acceptable.

That’s about all for now, I hope I gave you enough information about the book. I think it has had the most sound advice from any source. The suggestions, ideas, the “try this tip” on almost every page make this very easy to read (I couldn’t set it down) and it’s not too technical, “just the facts”. She turned her personal tragedies into words of help and healing for me, I don’t feel at odds or different. Just put one foot in front of the other everyday, have some structure, cry when I want, laugh when I want (it’s OK to be happy) and have faith. There’s a new and wonderful life just waiting for me out there so I must go out and find it, it won’t show up on my doorstep.”

Kathi
Canada

Morrison

Audrey Stringer’s latest book, Scaling the Mountains of Grief, offers practical support to people journeying with grief. The book’s short chapters are accessible for grieving persons struggling to focus. Audrey draws on her own experiences of loss, and she includes wisdom from the lives of grieving people’s she’s supported over the years. The book encourages readers to imagine a new set of goals and dreams following a loss. Chapters include “Beacon of Hope” sections, offering educational insights and suggestions. Scaling the Mountains of Grief goes beyond the usual grief book by including a journal workbook, where readers can dialogue with Audrey and her collection of coping strategies. I recommend Scaling the Mountains of Grief for people experiencing a loss, and for their family and friends looking for ways to offer support.</>

Grollman

Audrey Stringer has written a thoroughly compelling and sensitive volume with profound psychological and spiritual insights that will bring consolation and healing to those suffering the agony of loss.

Rabbi Earl A. Grollman DHL, DD
Author, Living When a Loved One Has Died (Beacon Press)

Hickman

In scaling the Mountain of grief, you will uncover the strength, belief, hope and dreams that will deliver you to a “New Normal” after your loss.
Audrey will mentor you as you scale the steep incline that lies before you. The climb to the top may be treacherous, but you will learn coping strategies and have guideposts on your way to healing.
Shirley Hickman, Executive Director, Threads of Life

Ellerker

Audrey is not only a mentor in her practise, but also in her writings. This book is an invaluable source for bereaved individuals, but also for their families, caregivers and associated professionals. You will be able to scale the Mountain of Grief with Audrey as your guide. I am living proof that Scaling the tumultuous mountain will result in the gift of new hope at the pinnacle.
Ruth M. Ellerker, bereaved spouse